Chapter Text
My name is Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon
Lloyd crossed his surname out multiple times, almost tearing through the thin sheets of the notebook he was writing on.
Maybe it was childish of him, keeping a diary of all things at his big age. But he couldn't help it. Being able to write down his feelings like this, not having to reveal them to anyone?
It made him feel safe. And when days got hard, he could always look back on these to see how far he's come.
As for right now? Well, he's just Lloyd.
Today, I’m starting my very first day at Ninjago U. My roommate, Kai, told me it was mostly going to be orientation stuff, but I still feel a bit excited. It’s been a while since I’ve experienced anything like this, after all.
I know this sounds dorky, but I really hope I can make some friends. I don't need to be the most popular guy on campus or anything, but it would be nice, right?
I’m lucky I was able to get a scholarship to get into this place. Everything really felt so grand when I got here. The whole place is huge! I even saw some students taking cars just to move from one building to another. Couldn't be me, haha.
Well, no use writing about it when I can go out and seize the day. It’d be nice if I could get a seat near the front, so I better get ready before the auditorium fills out.
With that, Lloyd shut his notebook with a content hum, sliding it under the mattress of his bed. Something about the act felt a bit juvenile, but he was new here. He had no idea if the people here were the type to sneak around and read other people's diaries like the ones from his old school.
Looks like he's still asleep. Lloyd thought to himself as he shot a glance at his roommate before turning to face a mirror hung up on the wall. Kai seemed nice when I talked to him on move-in day.
Kai seemed like the type of guy who maybe got a little too passionate about things, but ultimately meant well. That was the impression Lloyd got from him, at the very least.
Who knows how good I am at judging a person's character. He let out a small sigh, eyes fixed on the reflection that stared back at him. Maybe he's actually like those scary jocks that like to befriend losers just to make fun of them with his other jock friends.
Lloyd put on a smile to the best of his abilities, it was lopsided and toothy, and it didn't quite reach his eyes.
That’s a good face. If you were trying to scare kids on Halloween. Come on, Lloyd. Try a bit harder.
Taking a deep breath, Lloyd relaxed his features. That dorky smile from earlier shifting to a much softer and more amicable expression. He couldn't do anything about the way his brows knitted together subconsciously, nor the subtle bags that hung below his eyes, but right now?
Yep. That's a friendly face alright.
Lloyd slung his bag over his shoulder, sliding his busted up phone in the midst of his school stuff. Just some notebooks, pens, his schedule, and a welcome flyer that had the map of their campus on it.
I really hope there aren't any actual classes today. I’d be super unprepared.
Lloyd was always a bit of an early bird. Or maybe it was because he didn't sleep much. Either way, he found himself arriving at most things relatively early.
There were probably just a handful of other freshmen like him at this point, idling about on their phones with bored expressions. He couldn't blame them, he wasn't exactly starry eyed about orientations either.
“Hey! Is this seat taken?” Lloyd whipped his head to his side, seeing a woman about his age giving him an amicable smile as she held her bag.
With just a glance, she looked… expensive. Lloyd knew the university also accepted regular admissions, which meant rich people enrolled every now and then, but this girl seemed like she was geared up for a photoshoot rather than a college orientation.
Silky, long white hair that contrasted strikingly against an ensemble of sleek clothes and accessories that was nearly all black. An outfit that made his green hoodie and ripped jeans look shoddy in comparison.
Don't just stare. You’ll make it weird…
“Oh, uhm. No. It’s not taken.” Lloyd replied as he turned away from the girl and went back to staring at the auditorium stage, where students were still setting up chairs and making sure all the equipment was in order.
Why did she even choose to sit beside him when there were hundreds of empty seats? Who knows.
“Ah, that's perfect,” She replied, and Lloyd could see from his peripheral the way that she placed her fancy looking purse down as she sat beside him. “It’s nice and cool here, haha. Did you also think it was too hot near the back?”
Lloyd felt his eyebrow raise at that. The temperature wasn't even something he considered when choosing a seat. Then again, maybe a rich girl like her spent most of her days with centralized air conditioning. Makes sense that she’d be peeved by the normal humidity of a sunny Ninjago day.
Then again, she wasn't wrong. It was nice and cool here. Maybe he picked this seat out of instinct.
Wait, don't get too lost in your thoughts that you forget to reply to her. And make sure to be friendly.
“Oh, haha. Yeah. I guess we came too early. They haven't even finished setting up, see?” For a moment, Lloyd felt his stomach tie up in knots. Maybe the girl was just making idle small talk and had no actual intent on engaging in a proper conversation. Especially with a guy like him.
“Gosh, you're right. I guess we'll be stuck in these seats for a while. My name's Harumi. Might as well get acquainted while we wait!” Lloyd looked at her, then at the hand she had outstretched.
Harumi was a nice name. And she seemed like a nice girl. Maybe… his wish for a friend wasn't such a pipe dream.
“Lloyd.” He reached out as he shook her hand with the smile he practiced from earlier. The proper one that didn't make him look like a bumbling idiot.
“Nice to meet you, Lloyd,” Harumi said with a nod before she pulled her hand back and shifted slightly where she sat to face him instead of the stage. “Since our ID laces are the same color, that means we're both freshmen, right? Gosh, what a relief. It’s my first time at a place like this! Maybe you can help me find my footing?”
“Ah, uhm…” Lloyd trailed off. “I’m also… kind of new to this whole thing. Sorry.” Even without seeing his own face, Lloyd knew his expression darkened. Hopefully Harumi wouldn't notice.
“No, no, it’s fine! If anything, I should be the one saying sorry for springing that up on you out of nowhere, haha…” Harumi waved her hands in the air, giving Lloyd a small bow. “You can probably tell, but I’m totally out of my element here.”
“You're okay. I also feel like I don't belong here either,” A hand went up to rub at the back of his neck, reveling in how truly awkward this conversation had started to sound. “So at least we're the same in that regard?”
“Haha. I guess we are,” Harumi shrugged. “But between the two of us, I probably don't have the best reasons to complain.”
Lloyd's natural curiosity was piqued. First impressions alone did give him the idea that Harumi might be too posh to be studying in a state university like this, but he doesn't want to be the type of person who makes baseless assumptions of other people.
“Why’s that?” Lloyd asked as his head tilted to the side slightly. “If there's something bothering you, it's only natural to want to complain, I think. If you do it right, it helps you clear your head and stuff.”
Now it was Harumi’s turn to give him a raised eyebrow. “That's new. Most people would think that whining about your problems is a bad thing.” She smiled, shimmying closer in a nearly imperceptible manner.
“Well, I didn't say that,” Lloyd shifted in turn, keeping the distance relatively the same. “I just think that we all have those moments where we feel upset…? Or, uhm. Scared, maybe. When that happens I just don't think it's a good idea… to bottle it up. Sometimes a little whining feels good. Sorry. I just started saying all sorts of things, didn't I?”
Lloyd was rambling. Sure, he was managing to keep the conversation on the same track, but the words just kept slipping out of his mouth before his brain could properly process and filter them.
Geez… Harumi probably thinks I’m a whiny brat now. Way to go, Lloyd.
“No, no! No apologies needed. I think I agree with what you were saying for the most part? At least, it makes me feel better knowing that maybe I’m not as immature as I thought I was?” Harumi kept that same, sweet smile on her face, but her eyes softened slightly. Whatever could that mean?
Lloyd was poised to reply, but the sound of microphone feedback rang out and made him turn away from Harumi.
“Thank you everyone for your attendance and continued patience. We will be beginning shortly.” The tall man behind the podium spoke up. If it wasn't for the fact he had a student ID, Lloyd would have assumed someone like that was a professor of some kind. Especially with his professional vibe and somewhat robotic manner of speech.
“Oh. Guess our talk will have to wait.” Harumi mumbled beside Lloyd, settling back on her seat to properly face the stage. “Didn't realize how quickly time went by, haha.”
She was right. Lloyd must have been more focused than he thought. A quick glance to his sides revealed the auditorium was nearly filled at this point, and now that he wasn't talking with Harumi, the bustle of the other students were starting to fill his head.
It’s… been a while since I’ve had to be around this many people.
Lloyd pursed his lips, trying to make himself comfortable on his chair, but it was still just a bit too much. Not overwhelming enough for him to shut down or anything, but the kind of sensation where it suddenly made him feel too aware of himself.
I wonder if people thought I was being annoying talking to Harumi like that. Was I being too loud? What about the person behind me? Am I blocking the view for them? Maybe I should have picked a seat further back. Is my hair okay? Did I forget to bring something? Is anyone staring at me? I hope not.
An influx of thoughts combined with the muttering of the nearby students. Lloyd knew these were literally inconsequential in nature, but he can't help what he thinks. He never wants to be the kind of person that inconveniences others.
“Ehem. The orientation is about to begin. Please stay silent, and reserve all questions for the end.” The man from earlier spoke up once again, and Lloyd practically felt his body loosen up from the tightly wound state it had been in once the crowd simmered down.
Gotta get better at this for the future.
It was an orientation, alright. Lloyd always saw how glamorized the experience was in movies and stuff, but nothing about it seemed particularly different from when he was in high school.
Obviously, having to pick your own classes and setting up your own schedule were new, but that didn't seem too difficult. Despite everything, Lloyd did think of himself as a pretty organized person.
What really got to him was that joining a student organization or club was mandatory. He knew that the university prided itself on supporting student extracurriculars, but he didn't think it was that serious.
A lot of older students were up on the stage now, promoting their own organizations with posters and speeches about their missions and visions and all their other -isions.
Maybe it was the fact it’s been like three hours, but Lloyd felt like his butt was glued to the chair at this point. Somewhere in the halfway mark, information just started to come in one ear and out the other.
“Got any idea which one you’re joining?” Harumi spoke up beside him, and Lloyd suddenly found himself sitting straight up again, for a reason he can't quite explain. “There was one about business management. My parents would probably love it if I picked that one.”
Lloyd turned to her slowly, her choice of words sounding familiar in some ways. “I dunno yet. They all seem really serious… I wonder how everyone can even fit these in their schedules? I heard the studying already makes people go crazy. Can’t imagine what happens when you add…” Lloyd trailed off, looking down at one of the flyers he was handed from some of the speakers. “The Furever Friends Animal Support Initiative.” He chuckled, finding the name endearing.
As if the universe itself heard Lloyd’s general disinterest and sought out to prove him wrong, the next person to walk up on stage to promote their club was a guy dressed in a sparkly blue wizard garb. Pointy hat and everything.
There were murmurs and chuckles from the audience, but the man on stage didn't seem bothered by it at all. Still holding that easygoing, somewhat smug smile on his face without a care in the world.
Woah. I’d wanna be that confident too.
After the wizard took center stage, he began to speak in a way that could only really be described as an attempt for a deep, gravely voice despite the fact his real voice was clearly way higher.
“Greetings, all!” He proclaimed loudly, and Lloyd could just intuit that this man seemed really excited about whatever it was he was going to do. “Ah, this setting will not do. For this is a tale most grand! Lightning!” He said with a flourish of his staff, followed by a crackling sound came out from somewhere, before all the lights shut off save for a single spotlight directed at him. Whatever was going on, he clearly rehearsed this a lot. Or at the very least was organized by someone more methodical than the guy on stage right now.
“This story, like many stories, begins with a young adventurer!” He pointed towards himself while still wearing that same, laidback smile. “And every adventure comes with a foe!”
Another spotlight turned on, and in front of the blue wizard stood a taller man wearing a monster suit that looked like it was made with cardboard and cheap foam. “Grawr! Do your homework, Jay!” He growled, raising his arms up and trying to look as menacing as he could in an outfit that would be right at home in a kid’s halloween party.
“Gah! No!” The wizard, apparently named Jay, shrunk where he stood. Some soft laughter coming from the audience at the display. “Just because I’m a wizard doesn’t mean I want to spend all my time studying my tomes!”
“Woah. What could that one even be about?” Harumi’s voice broke through the shenanigans and the amused chuckles of the other students. “Maybe a theatre club? They look like they’re having a lot of fun.”
Lloyd found himself nodding in agreement. Soon enough, some other people were showing up on stage and engaging with the guy apparently named Jay. Probably his fellow members. There was a girl with silver hair, accompanied by the serious sounding guy from earlier. Then another girl with black hair in a messy ponytail came from behind the stage. Finally…
“Hey, that’s my roommate.” The words left Lloyd’s mouth in a whisper, eyes fixed on the one familiar face there.
“Really? He looks like a fun guy if he’s hanging out with them.” Harumi responded, the two of them completely enamored by what they were witnessing.
These older students just absolutely making fools of themselves on stage. In fact, other than the first two guys, nobody else was even wearing costumes. There wasn't even really a story anymore…? They were kind of just whacking each other with props now. Was that on purpose?
“Wahh! Nya, help! Kai’s going off script!”
“Me?! It was Cole! He started swinging around that big, stupid arm of his and hit me in the head!”
“It was cause' you broke my costume! This arm isn't supposed to go flying!”
“Calm down, everyone. We can still save Jay’s presentation by ceasing fire!”
“Augh, enough! You boys are so messy! Me and Pixal never should have agreed to help!”
Hm. I’m no detective, but something tells me this isn't what they were trying to do.
Lloyd could barely hold in his laughter at this point. How could he? After all those boring speeches, everyone was treated to the sight of a bunch of dorks having a shouting match. There was name calling, hair pulling, even a bit of grappling. It looked like a bunch of kindergarteners were thrown on stage and just told to do whatever they wanted.
Still, if the goal was to promote their club, then it looked like they failed pretty badly. It didn’t help that even now, nobody knew what kind of organization it was or what they were even doing.
Just as their infighting was about to reach a fever pitch, the main man, Jay, broke out of the scuffle and stood in front. Gone was his dignified wizard outfit, having been ripped in multiple places and his hat nowhere to be found. “Join my Tabletop Club! I promise we spend more time fighting dragons and monsters than each other!” He screamed at the top of his lungs, voice a few octaves higher than when he first came on to the stage.
With that, they all dragged themselves off to the side, the serious one that tried to defuse the situation earlier letting out a very loud sigh as he dusted off his clothes. “Well, that was the last of the student organizations. Once again, thank you all for your attendance. The orientation for today is now over, please refer to your schedules for the week.”
Right. They were handing these out. Lloyd sifted through his bag, looking for the flyer that he tossed in halfway through the orientation. Ack. Seriously? This whole week is just for events? No actual classes? I guess Ninjago U. doesn’t skimp on the welcoming of their freshmen, huh?
“That was pretty funny at the end there, right? Have you decided which club you’re gonna–” Lloyd cut himself off when he turned to his side, realizing Harumi wasn’t there anymore. She must have gotten up while those seniors were squabbling on stage and Lloyd didn’t notice.
She did look like a busy girl. Maybe I’ll catch her tomorrow. We can talk more about which organization we should join. Maybe we’ll even have some classes together.
That would be nice.